The Union Government has approved the establishment of three Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a focus on Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities, as announced by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday. The initiative aims to strengthen India's role in the global AI landscape with a financial outlay of ₹990 crore spanning from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28.
While addressing the event, Pradhan expressed optimism about the potential impact of these CoEs, referring to them as "temples of global public good." He highlighted how these centres will position India as a significant player in AI and make the country a global hub for AI innovation and solutions. The minister lauded the efforts of the apex committee, led by Sridhar Vembu, to oversee the project’s implementation in top academic institutions.
The AI CoEs are a vital component of the government’s vision to "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India," first announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24. These centres will cooperate with industry partners and startups, conducting interdisciplinary research to develop cutting-edge AI applications and scalable solutions in the healthcare, agriculture, and urban planning sectors. This initiative will boost the country’s AI ecosystem and create quality human resources.
Pradhan also emphasized that the CoEs will help invigorate the startup ecosystem and create a new generation of jobs and wealth creators in India. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of making India a global AI leader.
By integrating academic expertise with industry innovation, the three AI centres are expected to contribute significantly to public policy and address critical global challenges, enhancing India's technological capabilities and generating economic growth.